Apollo

The years passed like pages turned without haste.
That little girl lost in the rain grew up… and so did he. But some things never changed.
He was still quiet. He still kept his feelings to himself, like someone hiding something too precious to show.
But with her…
With her, it was different.
That night, the world seemed small enough to fit inside a single room.
The two were hiding under the blanket, as if it were a secret just between them. The flashlight between them illuminated their faces, creating dancing shadows on the fabric above.
"Look at this," she said, raising her hand and making a drawing with her fingers.
On the makeshift wall of fabric, the shadow of a bird appeared.
He watched for a moment… and then, without saying anything, did the same.
His shadow appeared next to hers… kind of crooked, kind of funny.
She chuckled softly.
Yours looks strange.
"Yours too," he replied, but there was a slight smile at the corner of his lips.
It was rare.
But with her... it happened more often.
The open book between them had been forgotten for some time. The stories were now invented, created there, amidst low laughs and glances that lingered a little longer than before.
"Do you remember... the day you found me in the rain?" she asked suddenly.
He was silent for a second.
I remember.
— I thought you were kind of annoying that day.
He let out a small laugh.
— I was.
She moved her face a little closer, the light from the flashlight reflecting in her eyes.
— It's still... a little bit.
He looked away, but didn't turn away.
On the contrary.
It was left.
And in that small space, hidden from the world… something changed.
It wasn't just friendship anymore.
It was something new… silent… growing slowly.
As if, without realizing it, they had created a world of their own.
And now… they no longer knew how to live outside of it.

Two years have passed since that rainy day.
The city no longer seemed so strange to her. The streets had names, the paths held memories… and the house next door had someone she had never forgotten.
He.
That afternoon, the sun illuminated the balcony as he sat on the steps, alone as always. His eyes were downcast, lost in his own thoughts.
That's how he was.
Quiet. Distant.
At home, he hardly spoke to his family. At school, he avoided friendships. As if he had built a small world of his own… where no one really entered.
Nobody... except her.
Hey…
Her voice broke the silence.
He looked up, already knowing who it was.
She was there, standing a few steps below, her hands hidden behind her back and a shy smile on her face.
Do you want to play?
He looked away for a second.

• No.
  Short answer. As always.
  But she didn't leave.
  He climbed another step… then another.
  You always say no.
  He sighed, slightly annoyed… but not angry.
  Because I don't like it.
  She tilted her head, observing him with curiosity.
  So... why don't you just tell me to leave?
  Silence.
  He didn't answer.
  And perhaps that was precisely the answer.
  She smiled, small and victorious, and sat down beside him… as if it were already permitted.
  For several minutes, neither of them said anything.
  But, unlike before… the silence was not empty.
  It was comfortable.
  He glanced sideways, discreetly.
  She was there… without forcing, without demanding… just staying.
  And, without realizing it, for the first time in a long time…
  He didn't feel alone.

The rain was falling heavily on that city that still didn't feel like home.
The streets were unfamiliar, the paths confusing… and, in the midst of it all, she was alone. Her eyes were already filled with tears, mixed with the drops that streamed down her face.
She had gotten lost.
The family… the new house… everything seemed too far away.
Then, suddenly, the rain stopped falling on his head.
She looked up, confused… and saw an umbrella above her.
And holding him was a slightly older boy.
"You're going to get sick like this," he said calmly.
She didn't answer immediately, she just looked at him, surprised... as if he had appeared at exactly the right time.
"Are you... lost?" he asked, tilting his head slightly.
She nodded slowly.
Without asking any more questions, he began walking beside her, keeping the umbrella covering them both.
Show me the way you remember... I'll help you.
And so, through wet streets and with slow steps, he guided her... until, finally, they arrived.
She stopped.
Him too.
They both looked at the house… and then at each other.
"Wait..." he frowned, surprised. "You're my neighbor?"
She blinked, confused… and then gave a small smile.

• I think so.
  For a moment, neither of them said anything.
  But in the silence of that moment, something simple was born.
  Something that neither of them could yet explain…
  But it wouldn't end there.